Three University of Memphis students are bringing a new style of medicine to Memphis. They are all employees at Harbor of Health, a clinic that opened in October in Harbor Town.
"We all love it," said Keller McCloy, a U of M student and care manager at Harbor of Health. "We get to establish a close relationship with our patients. They aren't just a chart number."
Harbor of Health forms a "prescription for health" for their patients, said Menachem Leasy, a U of M student and care manager.
"It's a different approach to health care," said Shelly Thomas, the wellness center manager. " We look at alternatives in oriental and preventative medicines. It's more holistic. For example, we might send you to a Tai Chi class instead of a chiropractor to help someone with back problems."
The care managers get the patient's information by going on a mile walk and taking their vital signs. Afterward, the Harbor members also have to answer questions in order to help the staff make a plan for them, McCloy said.
"We generate a plan for the members based on family history, general lifestyle and their individual goals," Thomas said. "As a member you get assigned to a care manager who then acts as your personal trainer and motivator to help you through changing your lifestyle."
It is a very different type of medicine that tries to combine all the best elements of all of the best practices into one entity, Leasy said.
"We are here to humanize and personalize healthcare," he said. "We want to make it the best experience that it can possibly be."
The care managers want their patients to feel welcome at the center and enjoy coming in to take classes and achieve their goals, McCloy said.
There is an opportunity for other U of M students to work there, according to Thomas. Harbor of Health is looking for an intern to work for around 30 hours a week. It will be a paid internship, and they will work around the student's schedule. Thomas can be reached at sthomas@harborofhealth.com.
"We have the ability to tell our patients exactly when their appointment is," said Allyson Witters, a U of M student and care manager. "They don't have to wait around in the doctor's office all day long like other places."
There is nothing similar to Harbor of Health anywhere in Memphis or the rest of the country, Witters said.
"We are helping people prevent future problems," she said. "It will probably be the trend of the future in medicine."
